Many people enjoy the door-to-door convenience and freedom from being locked into a fixed schedule afforded to them by driving their own personal cars wherever they wish to go. However, because most automobiles on the road are carrying only a single occupant, such automobile use has lead to 1) over crowded roads, 2) a lack of parking, 3) a dependence on foreign oil, and 4) poor air-quality. One prior art solution, car pooling, is inadequate because of a) the difficulty of matching individuals to ride together, b) the erratic nature of non-commuter travel, which accounts for a large percentage of all automobile trips, c) rigid scheduling requirements, and d) a lack of backup transportation should a rider's schedule change. Another prior art solution, mass transit, does not provide the door-to-door convenience desired by those used to driving their own cars wherever they go.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,875, issued to Behnke, discloses a system for facilitating car pooling. However, such a system relies on the haphazard offering of rides by drivers. It is thus incapable of providing commuters with the efficient transportation and comforts they require.